This research starts from on previous experience built in male ward of Fazenda da Esperança - FE Manaus, therapeutic community that works in recovery from substance dependents. It was based on this experience that has sought the understanding of issues that became relevant to directly interfere in the lives of ex residents from Fazenda da Esperança and their relatives: the relapse. The aim of this study was to understand the reasons why the ex residents from Fazenda da Esperança return to drug abuse. To the study development it was used the qualitative research of which were read through the ex residents records from 2005 to 2008 and researches semi-structured were done with the ex residents and members of their families. The collected material supported the elaboration of the interviewed ex residents profile and their families, but also helped to identify his trajectory, since the admission until his return to the family, subsequent relapse and return to sobriety. Five former students and six families took part of the study. The result of the study relates: there was no family’s implication in the process of relapse of his addict, that the relapse takes part of the recovering process and that for some addicts it is necessary, that the relapse of the interviewed was caused by lack of care that requires sobriety, there is a confrontation of life is lived in faith to life in society, the family is the major reference for addict and her participation in all stages of the relative’s recovering process is fundamental and essential.